Astral Arcana

The Astral Plane is an unusual place, probably best known for the astral projection spell. If I were a resident of the Astral Plane (such as this week's exciting new player character race, the nyth), I would probably be pretty sick of all these high-level spellcasters from the Material Plane running around mucking things up, and supposedly the Astral Plane is supposed to have dangers that prey on astral projectors, but the fact of the matter is, that the protection offered by that silver cord, which effectively automatically resurrects you, is pretty sweet, and makes you feel pretty safe on the Astral Plane. Two of this week's spells are designed for those who would make astral projectors think twice, and the other is a new way to project your mind.

You create an incorporeal thought construct, known as an astral drone, and transfer your consciousness to it. The astral drone appears as a silvery cloud roughly two feet in diameter, with your facial features on one side. While the spell is in effect, your mind leaves your body, which is helpless and unable to act. Instead, you see and hear what the astral drone sees and hears, and you can direct its movements. It has a fly speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability, and an AC of 12 + your primary spellcasting ability score modifier. It cannot take hostile actions, nor can you cast spells while controlling it, but it can speak, allowing you to carry on a conversation. The astral drone cannot pass through solid objects, but can pass through small cracks or gaps that normal mist could pass through. A thin silver cord connects the astral drone to your body. If this cord is severed (AC 10 + 1/2 your caster level; hardness 5; 2 hit points per caster level), the spell ends immediately, and your consciousness snaps back to your body. This traumatic experience inflicts 1d8 points of Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma damage to you. If your body is slain, the spell ends immediately (and you are dead).

You channel your mind through the touched silver cord to the body of the astrally-projecting traveler that it is connected to. This spell functions as greater possession, except as noted here. You are instantly transported along the silver cord to the original body of the creature that it is connected to, which is treated as the target of the greater possession effect. If the body is in some form of suspended animation (such as with astral projection), this spell overrides that suspended animation for as long as it is in effect, allowing you to control the body as you see fit. The creature is not allowed an initial saving through to resist the effect, although if the creature's mind returns to its body before astral possession ends, the target may make a Will save to force you out of its body. If it fails, you retain control of the body until astral possession ends.

When the spell ends (whether because the duration expired, it was dispelled, or the creature returned to its body and succeeded on its Will save), your mind and body return to the Astral Plane, in the location you were when you cast the spell.

You cause the target silver cord to collapse on itself, dragging both ends to the section of the silver cord nearest you. If the cord is attached to a creature using astral projection, or a similar effect, this causes the creature to immediately appear before you, in its original body with its original equipment, and ends the astral projection effect. This sudden transition is jarring, and unless the creature succeeds on a Fortitude save, it is stunned for 1 round.

The creature attached to the silver cord becomes aware of what is happening, even if he is not near the section of the silver cord that you target, and can attempt to resist the effect. A successful Will save allows the creature attached to the silver cord to instantly and immediately return to his original body the instant before the spell's effect takes place, ending his astral projection but preventing this spell from having any further effect.